As I perused today’s business mail, I came across a particular piece.

Plain white #10 envelope, no "corner card" identifying the sender. First class mail stamp. My name/company name and address inkjetted in the traditional typewriter courier font.

So of course I opened it … and chances are, so would you.

Inside was what appeared to be a tear sheet from a business magazine. Glossy paper. Full-color. Could have been ripped from Business Week or Forbes. Affixed to this sheet was a small yellow post-it with a handwritten note, "Roberta, Try this. It’s really good." It was signed, "J"

Amazing! I haven’t seen this technique in several years, so I guess it’s time to trot it back out.

This technique was used ad nauseum in the ’90s because it worked so damn well. Why?

• Curiosity - the plain white envelope gets me wondering …
• Value -it doesn’t appear to be junk because it sports a first class stamp
• Authenticity - the sheet appears to be from a business magazine (although it does have a teeny ADVERTISEMENT in the upper right corner)
• Relationship to sender - the handwritten nature of the post-it, the "J" (and who doesn’t know someone whose name begins with J) is the deal sealer.

So now I’m completely set up to read the sheet and perhaps respond. The sheet’s headline: "Outfox Your Competition with Clever, Profit-Driven Strategies."

Except for the Clever (I might have changed it to Proven, Easy), this is a tidy little headline that works. As does this promotion.

Maven’s Maxim
When you’re sitting around thinking about how to begin a new DM campaign, go ahead and reach back for a classic technique. Remember, it’s only an old joke to someone whose heard it before. It’s always brand-new to a fresh audience.